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| Zoe M. McCarthy |
Boy, aren’t these stimuli for sleepless nights and anxious days? Days consumed with defensive mental scenarios and infinite replays of unfairness?
Allowing such difficulties to consume hours of our peace turns us into blurry-eyed, seething creatures. We might as well be zombies for our inability to listen to or help others.
This imprisoned state becomes the real adversity.
Shields
Here are the shields I use against attacks on my inner solace. Try one or all of them the next time your reactions to circumstances attempt to abduct you.Shield 1. I firmly say: “I will not receive that.” Then I move on to something else.
Shield 2. I remind myself: Be anxious in nothing, prayerful in everything, thankful in anything, and then the peace. (From (Philippians 4:6)
I pray, “Lord, You know all these hurtful things, and You command me not to be afraid or anxious. I want to be in your will. So here, I give my hurt and frustration to You. And I ask for Your peace. Thank you, Lord, for freeing me from the storm.”
Then I move on to something else.
Shield 3. I take this test based on Philippians 4:8. If the answer is no to one, I need to change my thoughts.
- Are my thoughts true? Maybe
- Noble? No. They turn me against someone else.
- Right? No. Jesus is against evil thoughts. Matthew 9:4; Mark 7:21
- Pure? Well, pure trouble, but not godly. Acts 8:22-23
- Lovely? They’re turning me into a prune.
- Admirable? I’m not obeying my Lord.
So I fill my mind with such thoughts as: Jesus is faithful. What a wonderful husband I have. I’m thankful the pipes didn’t freeze, the sun came up, and I have food on my table. God is wise and can do all things. Then I move on to something else.
Shield 4. I recall this scripture: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13 NKJV) Wow. This says I can remove anxious, worrisome, and unhelpful thoughts from my mind through Christ. I ask myself: Do I believe this scripture?
I confirm I do believe the promise. And I move on to something else.
Sometimes it takes moving from one shield to another and raising my shields several times. But God has always been faithful. I’m able to move on to something else.
What are your weapons or shields that free you from the adversity of inner storms?
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| About the Author |
Learn more about Zoe M. McCarthy at her website: http://zoemmccarthy.com.
Calculated Risk
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| Calculated Risk by Zoe M. McCarthy |
What happens when an analytical numbers man meets a mercurial marketing Rep? Romance is a calculated risk…
Jilted by the latest of her father’s choices of “real men,” Cisney Baldwin rashly accepts an invitation to spend Thanksgiving weekend with a sympathetic colleague and his family. Nick LeCrone is a man too much her opposite to interest her and too mild-mannered to make her overbearing father’s “list.” Now, Cisney fears Nick wants to take advantage of her vulnerable state over the holiday. Boy, is she wrong.
Nick wants little to do with Cisney. She drives him crazy with all her sticky notes and quirks. He extended an invitation because he felt sorry for her. Now he’s stuck, and to make matters worse, his family thinks she’s his perfect match. He’ll do what he can to keep his distance, but there’s just one problem—he’s starting to believe Cisney’s magnetism is stronger than he can resist.
Purchase links for Calculated Risk: http://zoemmccarthy.com/books
